The conventional antibacterial processing agents used for the processing of fiber materials are as follows:
(1) silicon-containing quaternary ammonium salts; PA1 (2) a mixture of a silicon-containing quaternary ammonium salt and undecylenic acid; PA1 (3) a mixture of benzalkonium chloride and undecylenic acid; PA1 (4) a mixture of undecylenic acid and anionic and nonionic surfactants; PA1 (5) polyoxyethylene trialkylammonium chlorides; PA1 (6) benzalkonium chloride; PA1 (7) copper sulfate (applicable to acrylic fibers); and PA1 (8) polyhexamethylene biguanidine hydrochloride. PA1 (1) They are liable to come off during washing. PA1 (2) The processing of a fiber product is generally performed at the final finishing stage of dyeing process. When the processing is effected at some other stage before the final finishing stage, the processing agent comes off in the course of the process. As a result, the final product is given no antibacterial property. PA1 (3) Some processing agents cause a change in the color tone of the product (in particular, a decrease in whiteness). PA1 (4) The antibacterial property thus provided is poor. PA1 (1) It shows extremely low oral and percutaneous absorption. PA1 (2) It is highly safe to human body. PA1 (3) It is liable to be decomposed without remaining in the environment. When liberated in the environment, it is decomposed naturally within an extremely short period of time. PA1 (4) It is stable to heat. Its antibacterial activity is never decreases at least at 200.degree. C. which is seemed to be the upper limit of temperature in common processing of fibers. PA1 (1) Escherichia coli; PA1 (2) Klebsiella pneumoniae; PA1 (3) Proteus vulgaris; PA1 (4) Pseudomonas aeruginosa; PA1 (5) Pseudomonas oleovorans; PA1 (6) Salmonella typhosa; and PA1 (7) Staphylococcus aureus.
Recently, antibacterial and deodorant processing agents comprising silicon-containing quaternary ammonium salts and polyoxyethylene trialkylammonium chlorides as the major components have been frequently employed.
It is known that aminoglycoside antibiotics are effective as an antibacterial and deodorant processing agent for fibers and other materials (EP-A-0 387 586).
However these compounds have the following disadvantages.
A polyoxyethylene trialkylammonium chloride shows somewhat affinity for a hydrophobic material due to properties of its terminal group. However, since it cannot be bound to a hydrophobic material, this compound comes off during washing to thereby seriously deteriorate antibacterial and deodorant properties provided for the material.
In order to overcome this disadvantage, there has been developed a silicon-containing quaternary ammonium salt. In a silicon-containing quaternary ammonium salt, an alkoxysilane group is introduced into the terminal of a quaternary ammonium salt which contributes to an antibacterial effect. The alkoxysilane fuctions to prevent the silicon-containing quaternary ammonium salt from coming off during washing.
This silicon-containing quaternary ammonium salt can adhere to the surface of a material to be processed by forming a covalent bond between the alkoxysilane and a hydroxyl group located on the surface of the material and further allowing the silicon-containing quaternary ammonium salt molecules to be graft-polymerized thereon to each other to thereby form a thin film on the surface of the material. Thus the silicon-containing quaternary ammonium salt firmly adheres to the material. In the case of a material having no hydroxyl groups, therefore, the binding force and the adhesion force between the silicon-containing quaternary ammonium salt and the material are so weak that the silicon-containing quaternary ammonium salt is easily liberated and removed when a physical force (e.g. rubbing) is applied.
The aminoglycoside antibiotics are strongly adsorbed by a material having a hydrophilic surface, presumedly through a hydroxyl group. Thus it has a high fastness to washing. However the aminoglycoside antibiotics neither specifically adsorb a material having hydrophobic surface nor have fastness to washing.